Tag: Bix Beiderbecke

Here are 10 things you should know about Benny Goodman, born on May 30, 1909. One of the icons of the swing era, Goodman still inspires folks around the world to cut a rug whenever they hear one of his recordings.

We’re featuring toe-tapping tunes from the King of Swing all day today on Cladrite Radio, so be sure to tune in.

Today marks the 126th birthday of orchestra leader Paul Whiteman. Known as the King of Jazz during his heyday, Whiteman isn’t afforded that level of respect by many in the jazz community today, but his influence is undeniable. His music may have leaned to the pop side a little bit, but in that era, jazz was dance music. It was pop, in a sense, and Whiteman helped to bring the new sounds to a wider audience.

Whiteman also commissioned George Gershwin to write Rhapsody in Blue, and that influential work’s 1924 debut was performed by an expanded version of Whiteman’s orchestra, with Gershwin himself at the piano.

Whiteman also performed in motion pictures, and it was announced earlier today that the restoration of his own starring vehicle, King of Jazz (1930), is now complete. It will be unveiled in screenings in various spots around the country beginning in May.

No less an authority than Duke Ellington once declared, “Paul Whiteman was known as the King of Jazz, and no one as yet has come near carrying that title with more certainty and dignity,” and that’s good enough for us.

Happy birthday, Pops. We can’t wait to see a pristine new print of your movie in May!

Today marks the 110th anniversary of the birth of Leon Bismark “Bix” Beiderbecke, the legendary cornet player remembered best for his improvisational skills, his distinctive tone, and his tragic early death due to complications brought on by his alcoholism.

But Bix was also a composer and pianist. His four compositions for solo piano, only one of which he recorded, are still played today by pianists all over the world. We thought we’d pay homage to Bix on his birthday by sharing the great man’s 1928 recording of perhaps his best-known piano composition, In a Mist (Bixology).